REFORMS IN LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICES: BAD DESIGN OR BADLY MANAGED IMPLEMENTATION?

Local public services have been the object of a significant reform process since the beginning of the 1990s. The effects of the measures are uniformly considered unsatisfactory. In the paper we provide some evidence – partly based on new ad-hoc surveys – on the degree of implementation of the reforms an their effects and analyse the reasons behind the poor results. We claim that both the institutional design of the reforms and implementation issues are responsible for the limited effects in terms of separating planning and regulatory duties from service provision; reducing thr fragmentation of the industries; reducing the reliance of these sectors upon (centrally funded) public sibsidies.